The origin of words, officially known as etymology—or as my kids call it, “uber-grammar nerdiness”—is always interesting to me. The history behind names too. Especially places, perhaps because I grew up near a city that literally translates into “Mouth of the Rat.”
Many don’t just sound unique, but also have interesting stories behind their names. Harkening back to my travel writing days, here’s 6 oddly named southern places I’ve visited and how they earned their titles. Whether you should visit them is a different story... Just don’t judge something by its name. Even a place called Toad Suck.
Bald Knob, Ark.
Situated where the delta and Ozarks meet, this Arkansas town's moniker earned notoriety in the Beavis and Butthead movie. Known for its annual strawberry festival, it boasts pretty foothills surroundings and plenty of hunting and trout fishing on the White River. Supposedly, it was named by Hernando De Soto who discovered a large rock outcropping nearby. I’ve been through it many times and my parents spent a night here. They never went back, but don’t hold that against this place.
Boca Raton, Fla.
The aforementioned, literally translated Rat’s Mouth has dual meanings in Spanish. Boca can also mean inlet, while raton is a term attributed to a cowardly thief, so “Thieves Inlet” was probably the intended meaning. Given Florida’s pirate past, that’s not surprising. Originally meant for an inlet near Miami’s Biscayne Bay, it was mistakenly applied to Lake Boca Raton in the early 19th century. And it stuck. These days, thieves and rats are not as prevalent as the affluent communities occupying the area. There’s probably some dirty money there, and plenty of crooked politicians. So maybe it still fits.
Bucksnort, Tenn.
If you’ve ever driven the stretch of I-40 between Memphis and Nashville, you’ve passed this town and probably didn’t realize it. Its exit has a gas station on one side of the highway and an adult bookstore and restaurant on the other. And that’s about it. Maybe there’s lots of snorting bucks there, but legend has it the name is attributed to a moonshiner named Buck and “I’m going to Buck’s to get a snort” was an oft repeated phrase. Its surroundings are pretty, but other than filling up there’s not much to do. Several professional wrestlers, including Dirty Dutch Mantel, claim to call this home, so Bucksnort has that going for it.
Toad Suck, Ark.
You haven’t truly lived until you’ve set foot in Toad Suck. Local legend claims it came about from river men docking steamboats on the Arkansas River who, while waiting for the dam to level out water depth, often sucked up too much whiskey at the local tavern until they swelled up like toads. Nearby Conway holds the Toad Suck Daze festival each year. Sucking toads is not involved.
Yeehaw Junction, Fla.
The Florida Turnpike boasts countless signs for tourist discounts here while headed toward Miami or Disney World. Originally, it was the source of another Central Florida “attraction.” First called “Jackass Junction” because Florida Crackers rode their burros to the historic Desert Inn and Restaurant located there for food, drink, and supposedly, a brothel, politicians felt a name change was in order as a major stop on the state toll road. Good call, though let’s be honest, that original name suits Florida Man well.
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